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It is premature to panic over Mike Pelfrey after two horrific starts that have given him an unsightly 15.63 ERA.

PELFREY: Seeking first win tonight.

Pelfrey said he’ll return to square one for tonight’s game against Colorado, and will rely more on his fastball and splitter something he didn’t do against Florida Opening Day and last week in Philadelphia when he gave up seven runs in two innings.

“I know I need to be better,’’ Pelfrey said in a classic understatement. “I just have to rely on my fastball and splitter, which I didn’t to the first two times out. … If I get beat, I have no problem walking off the field if I can say they beat my best stuff.’’

Against the Phillies, Pelfrey threw first-pitch fastballs to six of the 18 batters he faced. He didn’t say why he went away from his bread-and-butter.

This is what happened to Pelfrey last July when he was winless.

If you’re interested in chatting during tonight’s game, click on to the Mets Chat icon to your left.

* Back-up catcher Ronnie Paulino has completed the last eight games of his 50-game suspension for using PEDs and has been placed on the 15-day disabled list as he recovers from anemia. Frankly, I think the Mets caught a break on this one. I don’t understand getting credit for games on the suspension he wouldn’t have been able to play in regardless.

* Jose Reyes is off to a good start and is riding a streak of starting the last seven games with either a hit or walk. Reyes has five multi-hit games in the Mets’ first nine games.

* The Mets are hoping outfielder Jason Bay will be activated from the disabled list by the end of the week when the team is in Atlanta.

* The Mets are carrying 13 pitchers and will probably do so until Bay is ready to be activated.

We’re nine games into the season and a few things are quickly coming into focus, few of them good.

PELFREY: Seeking first win tonight.

The team is hustling, always a positive, but how long will the attitude last if the pitching falters and the losing continues?

If you could have handicapped the first three series, you would’ve figured losses at Florida and Philadelphia, and beating Washington. A 4-5 record wouldn’t have been an unreasonable projection.

The bullpen has been terrible, the rotation spotty and the clutch hitting poor. Seventeen strikeouts yesterday against the Nationals is inexcusable. That being said, the Mets are lucky to be where they are.

It’s too soon to draw any definitive conclusions on the season, but to avoid a slide they need to show something against Colorado and Atlanta, seven games against superior competition, with four at home against the Rockies. If they lose the Colorado series, then go into Atlanta, who can’t see the basement by the time they come home again?

Winning teams focus one series at a time, and the Mets have played poorly in losing of their first three. Progress is made in little steps, and they need Mike Pelfrey to take one tonight.

We knew going in one of the Mets’ weaknesses was their bullpen, and less than 10 games into the season it has been true to form.

IZZY: Will he help?

A team looking to take the next step does not blow a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning. That’s what happened Sunday to the Mets, who responded by designating for assignment Blaine Boyer and optioning outfielder Lucas Duda and bringing up relievers Jason Isringhausen and Ryota Igarashi.

“The bullpen has been inconsistent, and that’s probably as positive an adjective as I can give,’’ said GM Sandy Alderson.

A better adjective is horrible, as the pen has given up 63 runners in 34.1 innings, many of which have scored. Over the last 11 innings, the pen has walked 11, and given up 10 hits and nine earned runs.

And, with the rotation not going long innings – Chris Young being the exception yesterday throwing seven – a losing record can be expected.

You can’t blame Alderson for taking Boyer over Isringhausen to start the season because he was caught in a contractual corner. Asking Isringhausen to say behind for extended spring training was a gamble worth taking. When you’re not dealing from a position of strength, you do what you can.

The Mets shopped in the bargain basement for relievers this winter spending just $4 million, and with that approach, what has happened is not a surprise. D.J. Carrasco, Taylor Buchholz and Boyer have not been effective.

I don’t know if Isringhausen will be that big of a difference, but he couldn’t hurt. At this point, anything might be a help.